KENT, Ohio -- Timely outside shooting when Kent State seemingly could not get a defensive rebound or an offensive post-up proved good enough to lift the Golden Flashes to a 72-65 victory over Alabama-Birmingham Saturday night.

It was the second game of the three-day Hispanic College Fund Classic as Kent ends the weekend with a 4 p.m. Sunday game vs. Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Junior guard Rodriquez Sherman anchored the Flashes with a stat-stuffing performance: 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. But he had help as Kent (2-0) shot 49 percent for the game including 8-of-22 on 3-pointers and 16-of-22 from the line.

Senior Mike McKee led all scorers with 19 points, notching seven free throws in the final 46 seconds to help Kent close out the game. Add in another 10 points from Tyree Evans and a clutch nine from Frank Henry-Ala and Kent's perimeter game was pretty strong.

That was critical as KSU would see senior forward Chris Singletary foul out in just 14 minutes, while 6-8 Justin Green, 6-8 Anthony Simpson and 6-10 Brandon Parks combined for just 10 points and eight boards vs. the Conference USA Blazers.

Eeven on a tough night there was still the defense, and Kent won the battle, holding UAB to 39.3 percent shooting, even as Kent was out-rebounded, 35-29.

But nobody played as well as the 6-2, 185-pound Sherman. His drives to the hoop were drawing oohs from the crowd of 2,632.

In Sherman's first two seasons at Kent, he was a backup at the three perimeter positions. Last season he was injured and was a redshirt. But now, even ailing with a tender knee and bruised elbow, it's clear Sherman has matured.

"He's much different than he ever was, that's for sure," Kent coach Geno Ford said.

Kent took a 35-24 lead to start the second half. The lead grew to 14 early in the second half after back-to-back 3-pointers from Evans. From there, as Singletary was whistled for a third foul trying to take a charge, and a fourth for reaching in, UAB slowly cut the margin down, ultimately taking a 52-51 lead with 7:41 to play.

But freshman Randal Holt knocked down a deep 3-pointer to give Kent the lead back, and one possession later Holt recorded his first career assist with an inbounds pass to McKee for a 3-pointer and 57-52 edge. The Blazers (1-1) never got any closer after that.

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